


Frenemies

by TheAzureFox



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: I Tried, M/M, Revsaku fic, but let me know if I'm missing anything, i think i'm good, uh no warnings this time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 15:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11255793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAzureFox/pseuds/TheAzureFox
Summary: Revolver and Playmaker are frenemies.That is to say, they are both friends and they are both enemies.Their friends don’t know the difference.(RevolverxPlaymaker, background hinted Blue Angel/Go Onizuka)





	Frenemies

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: not beta-read bc I'm lazy and my deadline is literally before the next episode a la tomorrow. Might fix stuff later.
> 
> Hahaha so I wanted to try my hands at Revsaku and I actually loved writing this despite not really shipping these two yet?????
> 
> I dunno but I also noticed I'm not really a romance writer but more of a character and character relationships study type of writer. And, apparently, a mess-with-ur-feels type of writer. But more so the former.
> 
> So, with that in mind, this is probably about as romantic as I can get??? I don't know but enjoy these two plebeians enjoying themselves because the summary I have in mind for this doesn't at all fit the story in my opinion but then again it does just not in the original way I intended for it so...*whistles*
> 
> Also I totally did not steal - nope, no way - Vullet's idea for naming Revolver Rev in the real world. Totally original in every which way...(please don't kill me)
> 
> EDIT: updated and fixed some minor mistakes

Revolver and Playmaker are what are known as “frenemies”.

They are both friends and then they are both enemies. In the VRAINS, they are the latter. In the real world, they are the former.

Yusaku first meets Rev – Revolver’s real world name – when Kusanagi drags him to a show on the brilliant minds of the world. Rev is one of those brilliant minds, a prodigy nearly his age who totes around a lab coat and an elaborate tapestry in the form of a giant posterboard. Yusaku isn’t at all interested. In fact, he’s prodding Kusanagi to leave because _this is irrelevant, why is he here?_ But, much to his loathing, his friend insists he stay because hey, why not? It’s something _new_ , something _cool_.

Rev presents a project he is working on – something about Dueling systems and better hologram projections – but what catches Yusaku’s eye is the three towers that sit in the very corner of his tapestry. They are somewhat small and easy to miss, blending in with the background, but Yusaku is quick to catch how each tower has a unsettlingly specific amount of rings.

The Towers of Hanoi.

Ignis catches on to that fact just as he does and the AI chuckles at such a coincidence.

" _It can’t be, can it? The one person you’re searching for?_ Here _?”_

Yusaku shoots his program a glare and it whistles at him as innocent as a baby bird. The boy sighs and then turns to Kusanagi just as Rev steps off stage. The boy is the last presenter of the evening, the rest of the candidates having already slipped off to greet parents and relatives. Rev greets no one. He just stands, gaze scanning the crowd and then he shakes his head, berating himself with mouthed words.

_He’s not here._

“I’m going to approach him,” Yusaku warns his friend.

Kusanagi gives him a baffled look. “Who? Why?”

But Yusaku is already up and out of his seat. Ignis throws a fit, suddenly panicking, but the blue-haired boy tucks his arm behind his back and the AI quiets.

He walks up to Rev and watches as the boy with the brown eyes looks up at him.

“May I…help you?” he inquires, an eyebrow raised as he gives Yusaku a defiant stare.

“Maybe,” Yusaku tilts his head to one side, gaze pointed to the corner of the project Rev had been presenting moments earlier. “Is it alright for me to ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” the boy nods, not at all disturbed. In fact, he seems rather relaxed.

Yusaku pauses, ponders, and then inquires as to what is on his mind.

“Are you Revolver, leader of the Knights of Hanoi?”

It’s a gamble, a risky gamble in which Yusaku has, for once, assumed and not used his facts to support his claims. The boy looks at him, calm and quiet, but there is a blooming awareness in his eyes that has him stiffening, hackles raised.

“Who are you?” Rev asks, eyes narrowing. “How do you know that?”

“Rev is short for Revolver, the name of Hanoi’s leader. Your artwork also shows three towers with 64 rings. That’s a common association with the Towers of Hanoi and thus Hanoi itself. I’ll admit, I’ve wondered if it was a correct hypothesis but, judging by your reaction, I’m not far off.”

The boy frowns. “Well, you’re definitely correct,” he rubs his chin and then flicks his gaze across Yusaku’s figure. “So, what are you going to do? Have me arrested? Or do you have something else in mind, _Playmaker_?”

Yusaku smiles with a hint of bitterness. “You figured it out already?”

“I knew you’d come searching for me. I just didn’t think it’d be in real life. I suppose you want answers?” Rev settles his project down and then looks at something behind him. “Or, I suppose not right now. You’ve got a friend with you and he looks like someone I don’t want to meet.”

“Kusanagi?”

“Mm, is that his name?” the brown-haired boy wonders. “Well, whatever. If you want to talk, I’m open. It’s best we do it here rather than in the VRAINS. There are eyes on my side who’d be more than happy to pry into you.”

“And how do I know I can trust you?”

“You can’t,” Rev shrugs and it’s the sincerity of it that gets to Yusaku. “But I’ll allow you to meet me in a public place if it makes you feel better.”

“Fine. How about the café just right next door? Same time as now tomorrow?”

Rev pulls out a phone and flicks through it. He nods. “Sure, I have the time,” he peers again over Yusaku’s shoulder and then turns away with a wave of his hand. “See you tomorrow. It'll be our little _date_.”

Yusaku scowls just as Kusanagi reaches his side.

The man looks over to him and then frowns. “Who…?”

And Yusaku wonders about that.

“A friend.”

~~~~

The café is a breath away from warm. A faint breeze sweeps through the shop, carrying around the aroma of coffee and muffins throughout the area.

Yusaku sits by the window, gaze cast out into the endless maze of people that travel to and fro. There are many varieties of people but none that he has bothered to care about. He’s far past the idea of attachment, far past the need for intimacy or feelings.

Someone slides into the seat in front of him and Yusaku is half-way to telling the poor person to leave him alone when he notices just who it is. Rev greets him with a cup of coffee in hand and two golden ear-rings dripping from his ears. They’re shaped just like bullets.

“Hello,” the boy says, steam forming a barrier between him and Yusaku. “Glad you came.”

Yusaku takes his chin off the palm of his hand and frowns. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to say?”

Rev shrugs. “Maybe? Who knows?” His gaze flits to outside the window. “People are strange creatures. They are an intelligent breed and yet seem to squander all notions of life in the meaning of selfishness. It’s hard to believe we’re both one of them.”

“I came here for answers and not philosophical life meanings.”

“Ah, of course,” Rev takes a sip from his coffee. “What is it you’re looking for, Yusaku Fujiki?”

Somehow, he’s not surprised that the boy knows his true name. “Answers on the incident of ten years past.”

“You too?”

Yusaku raises an eyebrow. “You…too?”

“Mm. I assumed as much. You’re one of the six kids, aren’t you? The ones found in the woods?”

“Yes?”

“Well, nice to meet you,” Rev holds out a hand and Yusaku gives it an uncomfortable glance. “Hi, it’s been awhile, but I’m one of those six kids.”

He ignores the gesture and Rev retracts it with a sigh. “So you were there too?”

“Yes.” Rev pauses for a moment. “It’s strange, but a part of me trusts you with this. You’re my enemy, aren’t you? Why am I telling you this?”

“Should you really be asking me?”

“No, perhaps not. But I am anyways, I guess. Well, since I’m already here and we already know each other perhaps we can get more...in-depth about our personal lives.”

Yusaku makes a disgusted noise.

“I assure you that this isn’t something I’d care about normally either. However, the fact remains. We were both taken away on the same day, in the same place, with probably the same questions. Don’t you think we should work together to solve our missing memories?”

“…You’re my enemy.”

“In the VRAINS, yes. In here? No, not quite. You can choose it any way you want but I want the same things as you. Well, and a little more.”

“What, you want money?”

It’s Rev’s turn to make a disgusted sound. “No, never. What I want is something that is beyond the reach of such greedy ideals.”

“…And?”

He takes another sip. “Perhaps, that is for another day.”

~~~~

The Knights of Hanoi surround them. Blue Angel and Go Onizuka press against him, their boards touching. They’re in a duel, three against many, and Playmaker isn’t sure how long before it becomes none against the masses.

Revolver appears before them, descends on his majestic dragon and then sneers down upon them. “Oh my, what do we have here? Three duelists playing tag?”

Playmaker glares up at him as do his two companions. _Friends indeed._ Rev is sure on his high horse looking down upon them all.

The Knights push forward and drive the trio apart. Blue Angel is sent scattering to his left. Go, to his right. Both of them teeter on their boards and Playmaker’s almost afraid they won’t survive this onslaught of attacks.

Revolver surfs closer to him, a smile wide and cackling. He pauses in front of Playmaker and lifts up his chin. “Let’s have a little fun, you and I,” he declares and then slips forward so that his breath tickles Playmaker’s ears. His words are quick but affirmative and Playmaker almost misses them entirely in his confusion. “There’s an escape portal set-up just west from here. Take your friends and _run_.”

The man’s eyes widen and Revolver pulls back, smile insincere and playing him for a fool. It’s a trap, surely. But, by definition of a trap, they’re already in one, Knights swarming all around them. He has no other choice but to trust Revolver’s words.

He yanks away from the masked man and then surfs over to his friends. He grabs Blue Angel’s wrist and then Go’s and begins dragging them in the direction Revolver has instructed him in. They protest in surprise, yelping and screaming as the Knights chase after them and their duel disks forfeit the match. But, they come to a realization just as quickly, and let him do with them as he wishes. Playmaker lets go of them and they follow obediently, already used to his quiet directions and subtle gestures.

A portal of black edged with silver glass opens up and they all slip through, tumbling past it and into the real world.

Yusaku wakes up by accidentally banging his head into a wall.

~~~~

“Why’d you do it?”

Rev looks up at him, another cup of coffee present.

“Do what?”

“Help me back there in the VRAINS?”

“I had to do something,” the man shrugs. “I couldn’t stand to see you so out-numbered. It’s not a fair fight.”

“But you’re my enemy. And, you don’t really scream _honor_ to me.”

“I’m hurt.”

Yusaku rolls his eyes. “Answer the goddamn question.”

“Yes, yes,” Rev sips. “Consider it like this. We both have the same goals but, in order to achieve those goals, we have to act differently. I’m the leader of Hanoi. You are the leader of some ragtag big shot duelists. We’re enemies, naturally, in the VRAINS. Here, however, we are two lost children looking for answers. Get my point?”

“…Not exactly.”

“You’re really troublesome, aren’t you?” Rev chuckles to himself. “Well, to put it in simpler terms, here, in the real world, we are friends. There, in the VRAINS world, we are enemies. That way, we can do things our own ways without losing the support and connection we need to reach our goals.”

“I see,” Yusaku nods. “So we use our different relationships to benefit one another? Comrades here to exchange information and enemies in the VRAINS so as to keep our allies from guessing our connection and turning against us?”

“Precisely.”

“It’s troublesome.”

“I know. But it can have many benefits. You want to know the truth about ten years ago? Well, so do I. But, we can’t figure it out if the Knights turn against me and your friends against you. We exchange information here and then pretend we don’t know each other. We don’t need anymore enemies than we already have.”

“And do you still want Ai?”

“Ignis, I assume?” Rev frowns. “Eventually, yes. But, for now, we have more important things to worry about. Namely, the planned ambush on Blue Angel.”

“Ambush?”

“My second in command, Specter, will be leading an assault on her tomorrow for her next dueling match. I suggest you be in the audience to watch over her. She should be fine by herself but I wouldn’t relax. Specter himself has taken an interest in her and he is a _very_ dangerous man.”

“Duly noted,” Yusaku nods at Rev. “I’ll do my best.”

The boy smiles. “Glad to see you trust me.”

And then, Yusaku smiles back.

“Yeah.”

~~~~

True to his word, the Knights of Hanoi launch an attack on Blue Angel’s dueling match.

The VRAINS is active, buzzing with news reporters and cameras eager to get a glimpse. Off-screen, the chatter of Blue Angel’s fans echoes into the virtual world.

“Love Blue!” they shout. “Angel!”

Playmaker joins in with a quiet reciprocation of their words. Despite his cold-shouldered nature, he _does_ like to show support in the most subtle of ways possible.

The match goes on like normal. Blue Angel surfs on her board and laughs, her cards in her hands and her monsters beside her. Her opponent, a girl whose skills aren’t too bad for a supposed beginner, shows obvious signs of struggle, pausing to look at her hand and then frowning at her cards. Playmaker’s almost certain his presence isn’t needed but Rev’s warning words linger. The boy has helped him before. He might as well stick around until the end to make sure.

But, the more and more the duel goes on the more and more he’s certain nothing is going to happen. The cameras show no indication of danger, no signs of knights or terrorists or anything else in the general direction of _bad_. He half-thinks about calling up Rev (he’d gotten the boy’s phone number the day previously in case things ever got out of hand) but then decides against it. The boy was probably too busy playing leader to terrorists to attend to him right now.

Then, a shadow.

A large dragon breathing fire descends upon them and Playmaker recognizes it instantly.

Cracking Dragon.

Blue Angel screams and so does her opponent. They dart away just as the dragon crashes down upon the masses, destroying countless avatars in the process. Playmaker itches for his board but Ignis holds him back.

“ _Don’t, not yet_ ,” the AI says. “ _Revolver told you to let her handle it first, remember?_ ”

He looks at it. “How do you know that?”

“ _I know all, Master Playmaker_ ,” the eye shifts to the side. “ _Or, well, Kusanagi let me do some super secret hacking. You really need to choose a classier place for a date_.”

“Shut up.”

“ _Alright, alright, don’t be all huffy over the truth mister_.”

He ignores Ai and then watches as Blue Angel whips around to face her adversary. She activates her duel disk, snarls, and then ignites a duel. Her former opponent offers her her help but Blue Angel waves her off. The girl logs off and leaves the Charisma Duelist to hash it out with the Knight who is sneering down upon her.

She fights and parries with the knight back and forth, back and forth. Her monsters attack his and his fight back. Gleaming teeth and beams of green light flash. Roars of a dragon and cries of a deranged fairy echo after that. Playmaker watches, attuned to his surroundings and to the match itself, but finds his worries demolished by the way Blue Angel completely shatters the knight to the ground.

The girl dusts herself off, smiles, and then opens up a portal, ready to leave. However, moments before she steps into it, a man with blonde hair and a devilish smile appears.

“Blue Angel? Glad to see you again.” The man’s voice oozes with something shady, something wrong and rather awful. “Though, I do wish you would’ve seen things our way.”

Playmaker calls upon his board and flies to her side within minutes. It’s not long after that Go appears too. They all give each other surprised looks that ask “why are _you_ here?” but come to a mutual conclusion that their newest adversary is more important.

“Piss off!” Blue Angel snaps, calling her whip to her hands.

“Who are you?” Go inquires, eyes narrowed in scorn.

“Specter,” the gentleman responds.

Playmaker frowns. It is as Rev has predicted. “What reasons do you have for assaulting Blue Angel?”

“Assaulting?” he laughs. “I merely came to interrogate her. For her brother, of course.”

The girl flinches and Go pulls closer to her, his arms out to shield her. She nods to him, grateful, and the wrestler offers back a grin.

Playmaker activates his duel disk. The other two follow in his footsteps, boards beneath them and the data stream beneath that. Specter merely chuckles and reciprocates their actions.

“Duel!” they shout.

~~~~

Specter goes down, but not without a fight. The man is defeated brutally but he takes it in stride, merely tilting his head at their panting faces with savage amusement. “My, and this wasn’t even my real deck,” he chuckles again. “Perhaps next time I can be true to myself and act more seriously. Prepare for me then.”

And he takes off, his calm composure not broken in the slightest. Playmaker glares at his retreating figure, wipes at the sweat building on his neck and then scowls. He turns to Go and Blue Angel, the former of which is clenching his hands into fists and the latter of which is pale and trembling. He turns to them both and then shakes his head.

“What should we do now?” Go asks.

“We need to stick together. That man’s dangerous.” Blue Angel takes in a shuddering breath. “H…He’s after me for a reason and he’ll go after you guys too if he thinks it’ll get through to me.”

“Relax,” Playmaker says, a hand on her shoulder. “We won’t have to worry about that.”

Go raises an eyebrow. “How can you be so sure?”

The boy looks away, gaze settled into the distance. “I have…a friend whose helping me along the way.”

He logs out.

~~~~

“I think my friends might want to meet you.”

Rev looks up at that from the notes he is making to stare at Yusaku.

“They do?”

“Mm, maybe,” Yusaku sips from a glass of milk. “Go was definitely interested but Blue Angel was almost certainly suspicious. I think she’s catching on.”

“Let her,” Rev waves a hand. “It’ll be better in the long run.”

“How so?”

The boy tilts his head to the side. “Well, Aoi Zaizen is Blue Angel, right?”

“Yes…?”

“And Go Onizuka is obviously Go Onizuka, the famous wrestler duelist.”

“Yes, so?”

“Well, let me just say this,” Rev props his chin on the backsides of both of his hands. “Aoi and Go are two of the children we’re looking for.”

There’s a deep inhalation of breath. “They…are?”

Rev pauses in his note-taking to bring up a website on his phone. He shows a picture to Yusaku. On it, two children are shown, cradled into the arms of EMT workers with mouths opened and eyes screwed shut. The one to the furthest right is of a boyish face with long brown hair that curls around her face. The other is a boy who lacks of the muscles of his current self and who is staring into the world with rounded eyes.

Yusaku recognizes both of them.

“Yes, I thought so. Your look of surprise proves my theory,” Rev retracts his phone and then flips through it. “I’m quite surprised to see Zaizen with long hair. Go seems a bit traumatized too. Not surprising, I’m sure I was right there with him.”

Yusaku stares at him. “Do you…really not remember?”

“Do any of us truly?” Rev tilts his head to the side. “It was so long ago that I’ve long since thought OF it as more dream than reality.”

“How did you grow up?”

Rev grows quiet and thoughtful, gaze settled on the tabletop. “I was taken in by a man I call my father. He was…the original Revolver. I’m just using his avatar and his organization for a way to bring him back from the dead.”

“Back from the dead?”

“Ah, how I love hearing that clichéd line,” Rev muses to himself. “Yes. My father is in a coma right now. I’m looking for a way to bring his consciousness out of the VRAINS and back into the real world. He is the reason I’m leader of the Knights of Hanoi. I care for little else but him and the truth alone,” he pauses and then looks over to Yusaku, “and then perhaps one other thing.”

“Yes? What is it?”

Rev shakes his head. “No, not yet. Later.” He looks out the window. “Keep an eye on Go Onizuka. Hanoi has plans to take him out.”

“How long will I have to wait?”

“A week, maybe. Could be much more. But the knights are getting antsy. Your raids have riled up most of my members.”

The blue-haired boy sighs. “Tedious,” he says, “but I’ll do it.”

Rev tilts his head in interest. “It’s good to know you look out for your friends.”

Yusaku looks straight at him. “Always.”

~~~

True to his word, Yusaku keeps watch over Go Onizuka. The man is a proud individual, someone who prefers to stand strong in the face of danger and to charge at it like a bull. His courage is admirable but there is cunningness in his methods, a ruthless fire that sears even through Yusaku’s cold chill.

However, despite Rev’s warning, a week passes by without any occurrence. The brown-eyed boy, when questioned about this, states he is not in control of such operations. He is only aware of them, at the very least. Yusaku, though annoyed and perhaps irritated at the statement, continues to meet up with the boy and chat. Rev is an intelligent boy, someone on par with Yusaku himself, and yet there’s a kind of calmness that settles away Yusaku’s suspicions. It is as if they know each other well enough to predict and understand the other’s motivations.

“Would you like to visit a hotdog stand for our next meet-up?” Yusaku asks the boy after their nth time at the café.

Rev seems surprised by the question. “Uh, sure?” he says, fumbling around the muffin in his mouth. “Why a hotdog stand?”

“A friend of mine works there.”

“The same friend as before?”

Yusaku nods.

There’s a pause. “Sure, why not? It’ll be fun.”

Yusaku takes a pen and piece of paper from Rev and writes down an address. He hands it back. “Here, this is the place where the hotdog stand will be tomorrow.”

He looks over it. “Alright, I’ll be there.”

There’s a handshake between them and then Rev leaves from his seat. His cup of coffee goes with him , the aroma of a chocolate mocha flowing with him. Yusaku watches the boy depart, gaze flitting over the way Rev restrains a smile and smooths out the wrinkles of the paper handed to him.

Yusaku takes his leave.

~~~

He’s not here.

Time flicks by at an achingly fast pace. And, with each minute that passes, Yusaku’s heart beats faster. He can’t stand patiently, can’t sit around and lounge like he usually does. Kusanagi, who is sharp in everything Yusaku, fusses over him with strained tolerance.

“Yusaku, calm down,” the man says, edging around the pacing boy to pick up a soda for the little girl at the counter. “You’re upsetting the customers.”

Yusaku pauses and looks down at the child who has come to visit. She looks up at him in concern, flinching when his gaze comes down upon her. Kusanagi shoos him off and the blue-haired boy goes off into a corner of the truck where he is out of sight and out of view. His friend gives the girl her order and she scurries off, obviously disturbed at his presence.

“Now,” Kusanagi approaches him, “what has you so distressed?”

He looks up at the older man. “I invited a friend over.”

“And?”

“He was supposed to come an hour ago.”

“Do you suppose he had other plans?”

“It looked to me as if he wanted to come."

A beep and an orange eye flutters open. “ _Ah, perhaps he ditched you, Master? You aren’t exactly date material. Not in your school uniform, anyways._ ”

Yusaku turns to Kusanagi. “Mute him.”

“ _Oi, oi, oi!_ ” the AI shouts. “ _Don’t get into a tiff just because I called you out on your obvious crush! I do NOT need to be silenced again._ ”

“Mute him _now_.”

Ignis flails around in the duel disk. “ _W-Wait! I might know where Rev is!_ ”

Kusanagi makes a move to silence the thing but Yusaku holds up a hand.

The boy peers at it. “How do you know that?”

Ignis puffs himself up. “ _I am aware of all people important to Master Yusaku. I keep watch over Aoi Zaizen and Go Onizuka daily and not to mention your little_ friend _too._ ”

“That’s creepy.”

“ _I seem to recall a time where you stalked Blue Angel. How is that any different?”_

“That was for business.”

“ _And so is this. I’m keeping watch over anyone of somewhat relevance to you. We never know where our enemy is and, if you won’t take me along on your little dates with_ Revolver _then I surely must take it upon myself to protect you._ ”

Kusanagi looks over at him. “You’ve been meeting with Revolver? As in, the leader of the Knights of Hanoi?”

“Yes?”

There’s a deep intake of breath that releases itself into a barely-patient sigh.

Yusaku tilts his head at his confidant. “You don’t seem at all surprised.”

“I had my suspicions,” the man admits. “Mostly because Rev is just an unnatural name. I went from there. It took me a bit, but I figured that was the only possible reason for your willingness to meet up with him on a constant month-to-month basis.”

“ _I never told him anything,_ ” Ai says, looking a bit proud of himself for saying so. “ _No one knew except me. Unless he’d made a move against you, I wasn’t going to do anything about it. See how good I am? I can keep secrets too!_ ”

“Yes, good job,” and the AI beams under his subtle praise. “Now, about Rev. Where is he?”

“ _Ah. Yes. That._ ” Ai has a look that suggests it has been stalling. “ _Your friend is in Link VRAINS. He might even be in danger but I haven’t…I haven’t been able to find him. I wanted to wait until I could track him down before I would mention it but….”_

“We need to find him,” Yusaku snatches his duel disk off a nearby table, “ _now_.”

“ _Now?_ ” the program whines. “ _But I haven’t even finished my beauty sleep!_ ”

He ignores it and then nods to Kusanagi. “Call up Aoi and Go. Tell them where I’m headed and that we can meet up from there.”

“Got it.”

Yusaku jumps into the room in the back of the truck and holds up his arm.

“Into the VRAINS!”

~~~~

Revolver’s body drops to the ground in front of Playmaker. Specter stands before them, grinning. His calm face has not at all lost its graceful edge and, instead, he merely looks upon the intruders with maniacal glee.

“Ah, Playmaker, finally. You’re here,” Specter sweeps his two arms open in greeting. “I was getting a bit bored. Nice to see that you brought along some useful baggage too,” Specter stares at Blue Angel and Go Onizuka, both of whom step closer to each other and hold out their duel disks for protection.

“What have you done to Revolver?” Playmaker flicks his gaze to the man’s body.

Revolver is out cold, bruises battering his face and neck. Shattered glass lies next to him alongside a broken mask. His lab coat is in tatters, lying around him in scratched-up shreds.

“My, merely dealt with him the way traitors are dealt with,” something ugly appears on Specter’s face, something that makes him curl his lips and kick at Revolver’s unconscious body. “Disgusting. I had high hopes for that boy. After his father went and got himself into a coma, I’d hoped _this_ Revolver could accomplish what _that_ man couldn’t. It’s really a shame that he became blinded by _you_.”

“Blinded?” Go inquires, looking between the man and Playmaker.

Specter smiles. “He was, originally, obsessed with his father and his past. That, I could have dealt with. But, you? You are the sole reason he wavered. And, I have no use for those who waver. Regardless,” he steps forward and over Revolver’s body, “I wish for a rematch. With my true deck, of course.”

He holds out his duel disk but before they can even initiate a battle Specter’s eyes roll into his body and he slumps to the floor. Behind him, huffing and puffing, stands Revolver.

“Hey,” he says, catching Playmaker’s gaze with yellow eyes.

The boy with the gold and orange hair rushes forward, catching Revolver in his arms moments before he hits the ground. The man is breathing hard and Playmaker notices a thin trail of blood dripping down his cheek. “Oi,” he says. “Rev, are you alright?”

Revolver doesn’t speak. Can’t. He struggles to say something, spits out red, and then collapses as if his singular effort against Specter has exhausted all his energy.

“Ai?” Yusaku asks as Blue Angel and Go Onizuka come to his side.

“ _Right. I found the location of Rev’s house. Or, more like, mansion. Anyways, I’ve provided you the coordinates and called up an ambulance. He’ll be fine in the meantime._ ”

He nods and then turns to his friends. “Go home,” he tells them. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

They pause, glance between themselves and then disappear from the VRAINS, trusting him with this task. Playmaker cradles Revolver’s body and then pulls up a screen, his hacking skills coming to use. He forces Revolver to log out and then disappears himself.

He emerges from a room and then Kusanagi is already at the steering wheel.

“Heya,” the man says. “I’m already on my way there.”

And then Yusaku sighs, slumping against the walls of the hotdog truck.

“Thank you.”

~~~

Rev greets him with a half-hearted smile, bruises marring his skin and bandages around his chest and neck.

“You came here just to see me?”

A rhetorical question. Rev knows the answer to that.

“Ai sent me the location. I had to see if you were alright.”

“And not the others?”

“I sent them home. I imagine they’ll be asking me many questions in the meantime.”

Rev chuckles. “You’re right about that.”

“Were you conscious the entire time?”

“Just a little bit before you came in. I wanted to scream when he kicked me.”

Yusaku’s gaze drifts to his lap. “I’m…sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not knowing sooner.”

Rev waves a hand and then grimaces at the act. He retracts his arm and merely looks at Yusaku. “If anything, it’s my fault. I didn’t show up at the hotdog stand. I was…I was chasing a lead when Specter ambushed me. I didn’t expect it to go down like that at all.”

“Well, all that matters is that you’re safe.”

“Yes, but for how long? SOL’s bound to find out eventually once Specter tells them. As I’m sure he will.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain.”

Rev furrows his eyebrows. “And why is that?”

“Three reasons,” he says, holding up three fingers. Rev laughs at such a gesture and Yusaku can suspect why. “First, if Specter tells SOL just who you are, he runs the risk of being caught in the process. Even if he remains anonymous, it is unlikely that just any nobody would know who the _leader_ of Hanoi was.

“Two, he might still consider you a valuable asset. He seemed very interested in the potential that you possessed and may eventually want to use you again. However, this is merely a hypothesis at this stage. I am uncertain as to what Specter truly expected from you.

“Three, if you are placed in SOL’s hands then what’s to stop them from interrogating you? Having you in the enemy’s hands places much of what Hanoi has built at risk.”

“I see your point,” Rev nods. “Well then. I will rest easy with that in mind.”

He closes his eyes and then leans against the chair he is sitting upon. Yusaku watches, uncertain, and a considerable amount of time passes before Rev opens up one eye.

“Shouldn’t you be leaving? Your friends will be worried.”

Yusaku shakes his head. “They know I’m okay. Honestly, it’s probably better if I stay here to make sure you’re alright. If that’s…if that’s fine with you?”

Rev’s eyes flutter open and then widen. He sits up, a soft smile on his face, and then reaches out to touch Yusaku’s hands.

“I’d like that, thank you.”

And they both smile at each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I think my goal is to write a VRAINS fanfic one-shot/drabble for each episode of VRAINS that comes out. I've done it for the past six episodes so why not the whole 140+ (?) dash??? It'll be fun :)))))))))
> 
> :')
> 
> Wish me luck on this endeavor.
> 
> Regardless, Revolver and Yusaku are hard to portray because, on one hand, we have little to no clue how Revolver acts. On another hand, Yusaku is a prickly little boy who would probably rather hand over his AI than to make friends with a Knight of Hanoi, much less their leader. So, hahaha, awkward writing is awkward bc realism is hard when still so much of the plot is left to head canons. 
> 
> So, uh, I guess,
> 
> Read and review?


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